


It's All Love

by threewalls



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Community: hc_bingo, Family, Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Mother-Son Relationship, Post-Episode: s03e11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-17
Updated: 2013-12-17
Packaged: 2018-01-05 00:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1087248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threewalls/pseuds/threewalls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma believes that a mother's love is stronger than her dark heart. (Canon Divergence AU for "Going Home" S3e11)</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's All Love

**Author's Note:**

> I have been looking for ideas to go with my h/c bingo squares lately. And then the mid-season finale happened and I was: NOPE, nothing with a solution that *requires* Regina to suffer or it won't work, just NOPE. With thanks to Mec, who heard all about this first.
> 
> h/c bingo: "magical trouble".

"What I really want is for Henry to be happy," Regina says, her fingertips slipping away from under Henry's chin; the love in her eyes breaks Emma's heart. "We have no choice. You have to go."

"No," Emma says. 

It's too quiet; no one notices, they're all turning to leave. She has to swallow and say it again. "No."

"Emma?" Snow says her name like it's a question. Emma's still not sure what to do but she knows this isn't it.

"In Neverland, you told me to never give up. That there's always a way."

"This is the way," Snow says immediately. Her eyes are moist but she's smiling so wide. "Emma, let yourself be happy."

Emma doesn't understand how Snow can look like this, when Emma feels like a dog about to be sent back to the shelter. She'll think about that later. Emma's good at leaving feelings for later.

She turns back to Regina. "Pan re-cast the curse, but Pan's dead. What happens if you cast it again?"

"Have you forgotten the price of this particular curse? If you think I would kill Henry so that you can be with your parents--"

"No, no, that's not at all what I--" Emma flinches, and sees that Snow isn't smiling any more. Feelings. Later. "I want Henry to be happy, too. And how can he be happy without his mom?"

"You've got an idea!" Henry grins up at her. He grins at Regina, too, whose lips spasm into a smile as if they're unable to resist matching Henry's.

Emma didn't have an idea, but does she ever have one now.

"I didn't grow up around magic, but I've seen enough to know that there's no curse that true love's kiss can't break. That's how I broke this one, the first time."

Regina glances skyward for just an instant. "That could work, in theory, Miss Swan, but there is one obvious problem with that."

Her mascara must be expensive, because anything Emma's ever bought would have been running long before now. Regina's smile looks like it came from ripping out her own heart. 

"I don't think so." Emma pats Henry on the back, and steps back, out of the way. "Go kiss your mom, kid."

Henry grins. He's so smart. Eleven years ago, Emma wasn't ready to be a mom, but Regina was and Emma is so grateful. She promises herself that she'll tell Regina that. Later. After they make sure there is a later.

Regina's speechless, but she drops to a crouch to enfold Henry in a tight, tight hug. 

Emma knows the moment that Henry's lips touch his mother's cheek. Magic spills out from mother and son like a shock-wave that leaves her skin tingling as it ripples through her. 

"It worked!" Grumpy whoops. 

Emma looks up, turns to catch the curse's purple-green smoke hitting something invisible and so much stronger, stemming the tide and effortlessly pushing it back. It's almost anti-climactic.

Grumpy and Granny are holding hands and spinning. Her parents are kissing, of course. Emma can feel Neal's eyes on her back, and Hook's. 

"I was the hero," Henry is saying. He holds out his hand to help Regina to her feet and then jumps back into hugging her like they'd never stopped. "You don't have to leave, Mom. You can stay with us."

"I'm not going anywhere." 

The question isn't in Regina's tone, only in her carefully marshalled level gaze above Henry's head and the curse scroll still clasped in the hand that Regina is holding against Henry's back.

Emma shakes her head, just a little. She's smiling herself. When did that happen? "No, you're not."

**Author's Note:**

> You can also comment @ my [LJ](http://threewalls.livejournal.com/373349.html) or my [DW](http://threewalls.dreamwidth.org/250908.html).


End file.
